Devices for enhancing the ability of a person to hold and grip an object, tool, or implement are well known in the art. Such devices are typically used by people who have limited dexterity or strength, such as a person with arthritis or someone who has suffered injury to the hands, or someone born with a physical disability. These augmented handles are also used by children, particularly as they learn to use table utensils, and also by people to facilitate the holding of many kinds of objects, particularly objects which are tiresome to hold for periods of time.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,955 discloses hand grips for use with shopping bags, parcels tied with strings or wire and the like, the bails of buckets, baskets and other containers, handles on cooking implements, such as pots and pans, and numerous hand tools, such as screw drivers and the like.
A turnbuckle wrench comprising an elongated slotted body is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,023. The link of the turnbuckle is fitted within the slot and the wrench rotated to tighten or loosen the turnbuckle. Retaining elements hold the wrench onto the turnbuckle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,865 discloses that implements of the hand-manipulated type may be equipped with spherical handles that can be easily grasped by persons afflicted with arthritis. The spherical handle has a diameter that permits the sphere to be retained against the person's palm between the thumb and a finger without bending internal joints.
Despite the plurality of patented and unpatented devices on the market, there remains a need for an expanded implement handle grip which can be used on a plurality of different kinds of utensils, tools, and devices, which permits the user to firmly grasp the handle, and which is comfortable and easy to hold.
It would be desirable and advantageous if a new expanded implement handle grip could be devised and discovered which would overcome the disadvantages of some of the prior art devices, and which could be readily and inexpensively manufactured.